Strut-type suspension systems are well known in the motor vehicle industry. A telescopic strut normally incorporating a hydraulic damper is used as one of the locating members for the wheel of the motor vehicle. The most common form of a strut-type suspension is the McPherson strut suspension system. The McPherson strut assembly includes a coil spring located concentrically around the telescopic strut which is the shock absorber. The upper end of the McPherson strut assembly includes an upper mounting assembly which is mounted in a tower formed by the vehicle body at a position above the wheel arch of the vehicle.
The upper mounting assembly typically includes a rebound bumper protected by a dirt shield, an upper spring seat for properly positioning the coil spring of the McPherson strut assembly, a bearing which allows rotation of the piston rod with respect to a top mount which includes bolts which are utilized to secure the upper mounting assembly to the tower formed by the vehicle body.
As a result of the quest for standardization and the associated cost savings, it is desirable to design symmetrical parts. In the case of the upper mounting assembly, the rebound bumper, the dirt shield, the upper spring seat and the bearing are typically symmetrical components which can be used on both the right and left sides of the vehicle. The top mount, while being similar in design for the right and left sides of the vehicle, it is not a symmetrical component. While the top mount is not a symmetrical component, the identical component may be able to be used on the right and left hand sides of the vehicle if the orientation of the top mount can be specifically set to a first orientation when it is positioned on the right side of the vehicle and specifically set to a second orientation when it is positioned on the left side of the vehicle.